I've been to Covent Garden a couple of times, once a few years ago and once a few days ago, and I am still yet to have explored all of it! Not only is there the huge marketplace but it is also surrounded by lots of other shops too.
The famous market area is covered with a roof and home to lots and lots of stalls selling cheap clothes, jewellery, accessories etc. - lots of very low prices, especially considering this is bang in the middle of London, one of the priciest cities in Britain. Although, sometimes the prices are cheap because the products are cheap... but look carefully and you may find stuff that's actually worth buying and comes at a bargain price. When I was 13 or 14 I was on a school trip to London and we spent a few hours in Covent Garden, and we thought it was great, frittering away our pocket money on
cheap hair grips and little things at these stalls.
As well as the stalls, the market is home to shops including high-street big-name stores like Monsoon (at least 2 or 3 branches here... they seem to be taking over the place!), but there's also a selection of small, independent shops - one to note is England Rocks, which sells all kinds of memorabilia (shirts and T-shirts, signed stuff, fridge magnets, beer mats, badges, everything...) to do with classic Brit bands like The Rolling Stones, The Clash, the Beatles, the Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC (little-known fact: people often call them Australian, but 3 of them were actually born in Scotland and then emmigrated to Australia) and Pink Floyd (Although no records for sale!). There's also a shop selling Peter Rabbit & Friends stuff (ahh, I loved those books when I was little!), and a miniscule toy museum. I quite like having a mix of interesting independent shops alongside the high-street names I know. There's also buskers, magicians, street performers etc. around there - when I went a few days ago, there was an energetic string quartet who sang and danced and played their instruments, sometimes all at the same time!!
In the centre of the indoor market is a little shop selling freshly-baked snacks, including the Wonder Waffle, based on an authentic Belgian recipe, using only natural ingredients (and suitable for vegetarians). It's got pieces of sugar in it that melt to form a kind of caramel when cooked, and can be eaten like that or with sauces like chocolate sauce, or with ice cream. I don't think I'd ever eaten waffles before I tried this, and it was delicious! (I had mine with chocolate sauce.) Would definately eat it again! I don't know how they cook them but it must be some sort of fat-free/oil-free method as it was not greasy at all (a first for fast food?). I've been to some bakeries in my life that serve cakes, pastries, etc. that, while they may have tasted nice, were rather greasy. The lack of grease on these waffles is reassuring - they must be a lot healthier than junk food/fast food, even though they are served just as fast!
Outside the marketplace, there are lots of the typical high-street shops (Marks & Spencer, yet ANOTHER Monsoon, etc.) plus some pubs (including one called The Nag's Head - I always thought that only existed in old episodes of "Only Fools And Horses"!) and - weather permitting, as this area is not covered - more street perfomers (I saw a magician there last time). There is also the Covent Garden Underground train station. I have never used that station to get there so I don't know how good it is, but the area seems to have good transport links, with not only the "tube" but busses as well, and it's not too difficult to walk to from nearby areas (I walked there from Holborn, where I was staying, through the streets of Camden district - and bumped into TV's Alan "Jonathan Creek" Davies on the way!)
Prices can be very expensive in the shops (as they always are in London), but you can save money on stuff on market stalls. Generally the experience was very positive, the only problems I think are the usual problems with London - getting past the traffic and finding somewhere to park if you're travelling by car, making sure you aren't pickpocketed when you're walking around there, wading through the crowds of people (if you're with others, you'll need to stick together!) and, most unfortunately and recently, the worries of terrorism.
Pictures of Covent Garden (London)
Crowds flocking to see and hear the buskers in Covent Garden's covered market
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I don't visit as often as I used to - but that "Wonder Waffle" place is really tempting me. x
pinkmatchstick 09.07.2005 09:24
I have heard of that England Rocks shop I think they sell guitars there as well. Haven't been to The Garden for years. One day we'll get back down there.
lipsalve 08.07.2005 21:22
Not intending on going any time soon but your review gives a feel of what the atmosphere is like there. Jo x
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Advantages: situated right in the heart of London, lovely atmosphere, not traffic, lots of entertainment and good eating places that cater for all Disadvantages: none really
anjib 29.01.2001 (29.01.2001)
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Jul 8th, 2005
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